Here is a collection of hint'n'tips I have gathered from people who attended last years' Jam here and around the world:
- Think of clever ways to create art assets. Last year Jeff Nusz hand draw art and then scanned them in. He created stylish, colourful unique art in a fraction of the time!
- Think of clever ways to create sfx and music. Bring a microphone and sing your own backing track?
- We're going to have a professional SFX and musician 'floating' during the Friday and Saturday of the Jam: Damien from Thinkt.
- Get some sleep. Feedback from last year is that those who slept did better, and were more enjoyable to be in a team with!
- If you are wanting to have your game shared with the rest of the world, browser-based games got played much more than downloadable games last year.
- Bring spare USB sticks, power cables, water bottles, pen/paper
Any other suggestions?
Keep it Simple!
I found sleep, even in 30min intervals, to be hugely helpful - There was one part during the last Jam I was stuck on a particular problem, and found once I had a quick nap I woke up with the solution.
Constant feedback is necessary, especially if you're working alone. Don't be afraid to ask the guy next to you to test your game.
If you're doing a retro game, http://www.drpetter.se/project_sfxr.html is the easiest way to make sound effects.
You really should use a version control system like Git or SVN for your project, both are available for free (to Open Source projects, which GGJ entries are) at http://assembla.com however, if you don't understand version control, then the least you should do is set up a Dropbox folder and keep your project in there (So all of the files are backed up online, and you can revert to earlier versions)
I am meeting with a couple of the other artists early (at 4) at the cafe sierra on High Street, and will come up at 4.40. If anyone wants to join me just look for a Maori wearing a soccer player head band thingy.
Here are some of the creative things I've seen people do in the past to create a game faster:
- Hand draw art and scan it in - crayons, collage, silhouttes
- Sing your own music and sound effects
- Procedurally generated content (ie only 1 level like Space Invaders or Galaxian), or have a dedicated level designer on team (doesn't have to be a coding wiz)
- Create a board game (allowed under the rules)
- Model it on a existing game or genre. Instead of aiming for a creative original concept (a laudable goal which I encourage normally), having a clear concept (let's make a fun shooter) brings the team together with a clear vision faster.
I might have to open source some code in order to leverage it during the game jam :)